FPID2497R frigidaire professional dishwasher

[newbie333]

hello

i have a frigidaire professional dishwasher

(  http://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?productCode=FPID2497RF)

problem=the drain pump runs continuously, even with the door open and the dishwasher sump empty.

background, the dishwasher finished a cycle normally. i opened the door, emptied dishes. then, a half hour later the drain pump just turned on despite the door being opened the no water left in the dishwasher.

i turned off the power using the breaker for a half hour, filled the sump with a half liter of water to see if it was leaking out, and it wasnt, flipped the breaker on, sump emptied and the pump once again

continued to run . i removed the kick plate and didnt see any water on the floor under the dishwasher. Note, i even pressed the "start/cancel" button for 10 seconds and that did not do anything to stop the pump or reset the unit.

***************there is an error code 30 which is identified as a leak or overflow of water has been detected in the bottom of the pan.

researching on the web, i have found similar issues with other dishwashers and the advice was to pull the unit out and tip it forward or backward to empty the water from the pan (and on to the floor). the other solution that was posed was to clean out the pressure sensor as it was  gummed up with grease.

 

why would the sump drain pump run if there was water in the drip pan? how do i get to and remove the pressure sensor to inspect and clean it?

is there a way to inspect the drip for leaked water and use suction to remove it?

 

advice?

[Richard Demint]

A leak or overflow of water has been detected in the bottom pan.
Unit will stop and drain pump will continuously run.
1. Check for loose sump hoses or leaking within sump area. 2. Check for overflow float is in the lower position and freely moves. 3. Check for buildup of soils in sump.

Your going to have it laying on its back, the bottom comes loose from top and hangs down on hinges. this will get you access to everything. I would at this time go ahead and clean out sump and all passage ways.

Did you only get one code? it can store up to three.

 

[newbie333]

how do i see if more than one code is in effect?

what does the overflow float look like and where is it located?

[johntech]

This one does not have an overflow float. It uses a pressure switch for fill and drain level. They have redesigned it because the original part would get clogged easily. It is attatched to the sump. First you will need to find how the water is getting into the bottom compartment. I would not turn it upside down till I am ready to repair or all other attempts have been exhausted because it will destroy all the evidence of where the water is coming from. You can normaly get you eyeballs into the lower compartment by lifting up the insulation on the sides. The aqua sensor is located on the bottom cover. If it is full of water then you will need to dry it out to clear the error and get it to operate.  You may have to remove the bottom cover by turning it on its back if there is to much water to be removed thru the side. Once it is dry start it up with it pulled out of the cabinet and watch for water leaking into bottom compartment.  If the unit is overfilling and leaking into the bottom then most likely the pressure switch will be the answer. If it is leaking from something else then you will visually have to find the leak to determine what needs to be replaced.Part number: 5304504077

[johntech]

The tech sheet mentions a float switch but is not present on this unit. They use tech sheet for multiple models.

[newbie333]

thank you for your detailed answer.

before pulling out the dishwasher and looking for water i am first trying to clean the sensor by using "bio-clean" powder which is used to dissolve clogs in drain systems.

it uses bacteria that eat organic matter. will let it work for a few days to see if that does the trick! i put two scoops of it with a quart of water. the water level has not dropped so i am hoping that the problem is not a leak but only a clogged sensor. i also rooted around the sensor opening from the sump with a zip tie, did see any food scraps.

given that the unit is less than two years old, would not the pressure sensor be the updated part?

also, if there is more than one error code, how would i see them?

will let you know the results of this treatment no later than tuesday...if fail, then will do as you suggested. if it does work, lets share it with all frigidaire owners!

[johntech]

You would have to run diagnostic to check for error codes. As a grasshopper you do not have access. Your model shows to have the original part number then changed to the substitution part number. Started seeing the updated part about a year ago. The part has been updated because it will continually clog and be problematic. If only a little water got into the bottom it will normaly dry within 24hours and the unit would start like normal. Just a warning with out pulling the unit and seeing how much water is down there your motor and all electronic components could be under water and being destroyed. I have went on a Bosch that the customer worked out of town and had to schedule the appointment out a couple weeks. By the time I got there everything was rusted corroded and it was cheaper to buy a new unit at that point. On your model they put the main control board down there on the back of the unit for some reason. Had to change out a few after flooding. If you do not remove the sensor for cleaning you could be pushing trash into the sensor and permanently damage it.

[newbie333]

23 hours ago, johntech said:

The tech sheet mentions a float switch but is not present on this unit. They use tech sheet for multiple models.

just wondering, how could a pressure sensor connected to the sump be able to detect water that has leaked into
the drip pan under it? is there any type of sensor in that particular unit that can? how does the computer determine that there is water in the drip pan at all?

 

[newbie333]

how do i tip back the dishwasher but at the same time keep the drip/leak pan horizontal? is there a latch or clip that i can undo?

if there is water and i did tip back the unit while keeping the pan in place then any leaked water would get dumped all over the floor from the back of the pan...

[johntech]

I would not tip the dishwasher unless necessary. Pull unit from cabinet and lift up the insulation on the sides. Use a flashlight to look into the bottom compartment. If there is a lot of water in the bottom I would try to suck most of it out with a shop vac. The control board is in the bottom on the back of the unit. If you tilt it back you could get the controls wet and cause a short. They are supposed to be sealed up and stay dry but I have replaced several for random issues not related to filling or over filling and suspect they had gotten wet when it flooded the bottom compartment. I always disconnect the drain line from the disposal and hook up a shop vac to it to evacuate all the water from the pumps and hoses so that when I am ready to flip it less water will get on the floor. That will not remove any water from the bottom compartment so you will have to access that from the sides. While you are looking for water in the bottom compartment look for evidence of where the leak may have come from. Soap residue in the water will normaly leave a white film after it dries helping to determine the origin. 

[johntech]

I would not tip the dishwasher unless necessary. Pull unit from cabinet and lift up the insulation on the sides. Use a flashlight to look into the bottom compartment. If there is a lot of water in the bottom I would try to suck most of it out with a shop vac. The control board is in the bottom on the back of the unit. If you tilt it back you could get the controls wet and cause a short. They are supposed to be sealed up and stay dry but I have replaced several for random issues not related to filling or over filling and suspect they had gotten wet when it flooded the bottom compartment. I always disconnect the drain line from the disposal and hook up a shop vac to it to evacuate all the water from the pumps and hoses so that when I am ready to flip it less water will get on the floor. That will not remove any water from the bottom compartment so you will have to access that from the sides. While you are looking for water in the bottom compartment look for evidence of where the leak may have come from. Soap residue in the water will normaly leave a white film after it dries helping to determine the origin.  You can tell if you have the updated part because it will have a white plastic cover "the part to the far left in the part picture" visible inside the sump.

[newbie333]

FIXED! at least for now

frigidaire comped me on the repair when it was beyond warranty, tech from "appliance repair center" came over.

what he said=

1) this model DOES have a float switch in the drip pan (vs someone posted that it did not)

2) ******* the drain pump runs not to pull water out of the drip pan (there is no piping thereto), but so that the pump winding gets hot so as to dry out the pan!! note, i thought i had fixed it but that it was merely the pan drying out after a few days

3) the leak can happen when food particles get under the gasket, dry out and expand so as to create leak after many cycles. THERE was water in the drip pan, the tech couldnt pin point the leak. he took off the "turbidity sensor" (this model doesnt have a pressure sensor) and reinstalled it. said that there could very well be a better than 70% chance the leak was stopped simply by the reinstall.

4) his advice, NOT to use gel detergent, but a more watery detergent. use white vinegar every month to super clean the washer.

5) he recommended frigidaire over LG and Samsung. thought bosch was very good but pricey.

6) the leak was minor and that i caught the problem early, so no components at the drip pan got corroded.

7) recommended putting surge protectors on all appliances.

8) he warned about going into forums/googling for solutions because features and components can differ even for the same (truncated) model number!   that the last digit or two on the fully expanded model number will determine what it has.

-------------------------------------------

my plan if when next time there is a code 30, put a few drops of engine coolant leak detection dye in, scan the components at the drip pan with the UV lamp, remove the part that is leaking, clean it, reinstall it with a engine gasket sealer.

[Richard Demint]

15 hours ago, newbie333 said:

FIXED! at least for now

frigidaire comped me on the repair when it was beyond warranty, tech from "appliance repair center" came over.

what he said=

1) this model DOES have a float switch in the drip pan (vs someone posted that it did not)

2) ******* the drain pump runs not to pull water out of the drip pan (there is no piping thereto), but so that the pump winding gets hot so as to dry out the pan!! note, i thought i had fixed it but that it was merely the pan drying out after a few days

3) the leak can happen when food particles get under the gasket, dry out and expand so as to create leak after many cycles. THERE was water in the drip pan, the tech couldnt pin point the leak. he took off the "turbidity sensor" (this model doesnt have a pressure sensor) and reinstalled it. said that there could very well be a better than 70% chance the leak was stopped simply by the reinstall.

4) his advice, NOT to use gel detergent, but a more watery detergent. use white vinegar every month to super clean the washer.

5) he recommended frigidaire over LG and Samsung. thought bosch was very good but pricey.

6) the leak was minor and that i caught the problem early, so no components at the drip pan got corroded.

7) recommended putting surge protectors on all appliances.

8) he warned about going into forums/googling for solutions because features and components can differ even for the same (truncated) model number!   that the last digit or two on the fully expanded model number will determine what it has.

-------------------------------------------

my plan if when next time there is a code 30, put a few drops of engine coolant leak detection dye in, scan the components at the drip pan with the UV lamp, remove the part that is leaking, clean it, reinstall it with a engine gasket sealer.

Glad you are back up and running! I bet if this happens again you can handle it with no problems.